I don't think blood glucose dropping causes breathing problems. But I suspect that that the supply of oxygen has a bearing on the hypo experience. I had a very bad hypo a week ago. My blood sugar collapsed much more quickly than I expected it to after doing a correction. It fell so fast and so far that I passed out, had a seizure and was taken to the ER. They immediately noticed that my oxygen saturation was very low, at about 70%. In addition to the glucose IV, they gave me an oxygen mask and I was soon feeling much better. I don't remember having difficulty breathing, and the low oxygen saturation is a bit of a mystery. The doctor wasn't able to provide an explanation. But I have been wondering whether low oxygen saturation could have been caused by sleep deprivation and excessive tiredness, and if it somehow contributed to the hypo. Perhaps the lack of oxygen caused blood glucose to be burned anaerobically, quickly exhausting the limited supply.
